Ukrainian Millionaire Sells Up And Joins Army

A Ukrainian millionaire famous for his model girlfriends, fast cars, and mansion homes is selling up to join the army, and donating his cash to the fight against Russian separatists.

Businessman Vyacheslav Konstantinovsky, 53, from the Ukrainian capital Kiev volunteered to join the Battalion of Donbass, a paramilitary group set up a few months ago as fighting intensified in the region. He had already been fighting in the Kiev 1 battalion prior to signing up for Donbas.

Vyacheslav, who along with his identical twin brother Aleksander were last year worth over 2 million GBP and Ukraine’s 44th richest people, is now selling his possessions including his prized Rolls Royce Phantom to help raise money for the Ukrainian army.

Vyacheslav posted on his Facebook page confirming that the story was true saying: "Friends, thank you again for your kind words. It's true that I am on my way there, although those who are still fighting are the real heroes."

And about his car he said: "In a previous life, it was a symbol of success in life.

"Now, my priorities have changed.

"I am ready to sell or trade it for things needed by our army.

"Those interested please PM me. Privacy guaranteed."

After emigrating to America where they lived for seven years, Vyacheslav and his brother returned to Ukraine and built their million dollar empire setting up the Kiev-Donbass Development Group (KDD) with investments in several areas. This includes the CarteBlanche restaurant group and Puzata Khata chain of fast-food restaurants. The group also has interests in construction.

The brothers are no fans of Russia. In 2006 Aleksander and Vyacheslav were both targeted in a murder attempt in the US that was foiled by FBI agents that was part of a plot to take over their business by Russian mafia.

A joint investigation by the FBI and Ukrainian police helped prevent the murder attempt and eventually led to the arrest of both suspects, Monya Elson and Leonid Roytman, in New York. A press release from the U.S. Department of Justice referred to the arrested suspects as "Russian organised crime figures."

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